GAYLE‘s been living in Nashville for years but hadn’t managed to run into Taylor Swift until Tuesday night, when both were honored at the 2022 Nashville Songwriters Association International Awards.
The “abcdefu” singer managed to grab a selfie with Taylor, who was being honored as the Songwriter/Artist of the Decade at the event. She posted the photo on her Instagram Stories and captioned it, “I’ve died and come back to life.” She also wrote, “I’m dead.”
You can also see the selfie in a carousel of pics GAYLE posted of the night, during which she and her “abcdefu” co-writers got one of the “10 Songs I Wish I’d Written” awards voted on by NSAI’s professional songwriter members. She got to take the stage at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium to perform the song as well.
“i’ve been going to nashville for almost eight years and have been living here for six so this has been a goal of mine and i’m very grateful that i get to accomplish this with people i love,” GAYLE captioned the carousel.
As previously reported, GAYLE recently canceled her Avoiding College Tour. She still plans to put out a new EP next month.
Queens of the Stone Age have announced vinyl reissues of their 1998 self-titled debut and two most recent efforts, 2013’s …Like Clockwork and 2017’s Villains.
The QotSA reissue, which features the original track list and artwork off the original, long out-of-print record, will arrive on October 21. …Like Clockwork and Villains will follow on December 9.
You can preorder your choice of vinyl now via the Queens web store. In the meantime, you can listen to the restored QotSA track list via digital outlets.
In addition to prepping the reissues, Queens frontman Josh Homme will be performing at Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in Los Angeles on September 27. He previously played the London show earlier this month, during which he, Dave Grohl and Led Zeppelin‘s John Paul Jones reunited their supergroup Them Crooked Vultures.
Homme is also producing Denim & Diamonds, the upcoming album from country artist Nikki Lane, due out this Friday. In a recent Facebook post, Homme shared that working on the record with Lane “saved my life.”
Maren Morris recently made headlines due to some fiery back-and-forth with Brittany Aldean, wife to country superstar Jason Aldean, over an Instagram reel in which Brittany thanked her parents for not “changing my gender” during her “tomboy phase.”
Maren, along with fellow country singer Cassadee Pope, called the comments out as transphobic, leading to a feud that blew up so much, it even found its way to an episode of Fox’s Tucker Carlson Tonight.
It wasn’t the first time Maren’s spoken out about hate and discrimination in country music: In early 2021, Maren was among the loudest voices condemning Morgan Wallen’s actions amid his racist slur scandal. But after her feud with Brittany, Maren says she’s seeing Morgan’s actions in a slightly different light.
“I don’t know how I feel about it, honestly,” Maren tells the L.A. Times in a sprawling new interview. “I’ve never hated that guy.”
She also pointed out that Morgan’s reaction to his scandal included a striking difference from the recent uproar surrounding the Aldeans.
“I will say after this Aldean drama, at least Morgan tried to apologize, even if it wasn’t perfect. I have to give him that, because he didn’t have to. He’s not going anywhere,” the singer added.
The Aldeans haven’t incurred anywhere near as many consequences as did Morgan — who was benched by country radio for the better part of 2021 and had his record deal put on hold. Jason’s publicity company of 17 years did, however, part ways with him, though they didn’t specifically mention the transphobia incident as the cause of the split.
While at Los Angeles’ LAX airport Wednesday, TMZ caught up with the 42-year-old comedian and actress and asked about the aftermath of being accused of molestation and if its affected her career.
“Oh, I lost everything, all my gigs gone. Everything gone,” Haddish replied. “I don’t know, bro…I don’t have no jobs.”
The statement comes just one day after the news that one of the two people who accused Haddish and Aries Spears of child molestation have reportedly withdrawn their lawsuit against the stars. The celebrity comics were accused of hiring two then-children to appear in a past Funny or Die sketch called “Through a Pedophile’s Eyes.”
The two plaintiffs in the withdrawn suit, identified as Jane Doe, 22, and her now-14-year-old brother, John Doe, were respectively 14 and 7 years old at the time they were paid by family friend of Haddish’s to appear in the sketch, the suit alleged. One scene reportedly had the female eating a hero sandwich while moaning and simulating sex acts she was coached to perform; the other had the boy playing and bathing as Spears’ character leered and interacted with him suggestively.
In a statement to TMZ on Tuesday, Jane Doe noted, “My family and I have known Tiffany Haddish for many years – and we now know that she would never harm me or my brother or help anyone else do anything that could harm us.”
Doe concluded, “We wish Tiffany the best and are glad that we can all put this behind us.”
(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Fiona, now a monster Category 4 storm with 130 mph winds, is taking aim on Bermuda as hard-hit Puerto Rico looks to recover.
Latest forecast
A hurricane warning is in effect for Bermuda, where tropical storm conditions are expected to begin Thursday evening.
Hurricane conditions are possible overnight, depending on how closely Fiona passes the island.
On Saturday morning, a weakened Fiona will make landfall in Nova Scotia, Canada, bringing powerful, gusty winds to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and New Brunswick.
The East Coast of the United States could see an increased threat of rip currents, along with choppy surf.
Devastated Puerto Rico looks to recover
As Fiona charges ahead, Puerto Rico looks to recover after the storm barreled across the island this week, killing several people, knocking out power and demolishing water service.
The flooding was catastrophic, with Fiona dumping up to 30 inches of rain.
President Joe Biden has approved a disaster declaration for the U.S. territory.
Next potential storm
A tropical wave known as Invest-98L has a 90% chance of development over the next five days.
It’ll move into the western Caribbean this weekend where conditions will be ripe for tropical development. The tropical wave is heading to the warmest water source in the Atlantic Basin, which gives it the potential to become a significant hurricane.
After this weekend, models are split on its path. Most of the models take the storm into the Gulf. Some models predict a strong storm moving through Cuba and off Florida’s east coast, while a few models track a weaker storm into Central America.
(WASHINGTON) — House Democrats, hoping to notch another major legislative win before the midterm elections, will vote Thursday on a long-delayed package of changes to policing and public safety.
Moderate and progressive Democrats hammered out a deal on Wednesday after frenetic negotiations — and on one of the House’s last working days before entering a recess that will stretch past the November races.
This new package of bills would fund recruitment and training for police departments across the country and includes new language on police accountability.
“House Democrats are committed to … building safer communities across America,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer tweeted on Wednesday. “Tomorrow, I will bring four public safety bills to the House Floor for consideration. I thank my colleagues for their continued work on behalf of the American people.”
To address mental health crises, one of the bills, sponsored by California Rep. Katie Porter, would create a grant program for departments to hire and dispatch mental health professionals — not law enforcement officers — in instances involving individuals with behavioral health needs.
The package also includes a bill from Nevada Rep. Steven Horsford that would direct the Department of Justice to establish a grant program for local agencies to hire detectives and victim services personnel to investigate shootings.
The legislation targets funding to smaller police departments with fewer than 200 officers; gives the DOJ the ability to preference applicants that use the funds for officer training to improve community safety and accountability; and allows the funding to not only go to officer pay and training but also be used for data collection regarding police and community safety.
Progressives have said they were particularly concerned about providing more grants and funds to police departments without including requirements on accountability for officers’ actions.
Moderates have long insisted on bringing forth public safety bills as a way to fire back at Republican attacks that blame Democrats for rising crime. Polls show some key Senate races tightening, with GOP candidates pressing their opponents on the issue — often citing advocates’ “defund the police” slogan, despite Democratic leaders rejecting such messages.
While Republicans seek to paint Democrats as soft on crime, President Joe Biden has slammed members of the GOP both for denouncing federal law enforcement after an FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s residence last month and for expressing support for those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Biden and Democrats pushed in the 2020 cycle for broader policing reform, including changes to the standard to prosecute police misconduct and qualified immunity, after the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis.
But Senate Democrats ultimately failed to overcome Republican opposition to a major piece of legislation named after Floyd. Instead, Biden signed two smaller executive orders on policing earlier this year, on the second anniversary of Floyd’s death.
House Democrats can only afford to lose four votes on their new package, but party leaders are confident they will get the proposal over the line. If it passes, the legislation will then head to the Senate, where its fate is unclear.
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who represents the district in Minnesota where Floyd was killed, was one of the harshest critics of the ongoing police reform efforts but gave her approval on Wednesday. The package, she said, is “evidence-based, holistic legislation that addresses public safety and unifies the Democratic Caucus.”
“After significant, deliberate negotiations, we are pleased to share that … the bill will include a number of reforms to ensure funds are used to support smaller police departments, to invest in de-escalation and other important training, and for data collection and mental health,” Omar and Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said in a joint statement.
Wednesday night marked the end of Harry Styles‘ sold-out 15-show run at New York’s Madison Square Garden, and in celebration of the achievement, a banner was raised to the rafters of the ‘World’s Most Famous Arena.’
The banner, which reads “Harry Styles: 15 Consecutive Nights at the Garden,” was presented to Harry by Gayle King during the encore of the show, while every fan in the audience received a feather boa — one of Harry’s signature accessories.
As the fans cheered wildly, a slightly hoarse Harry exclaimed, “Any time that you come to Madison Square Garden and you see that, you remember it’s because of you — that is ours! Thank you so, so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Only two other music-related banners hang from the rafters of Madison Square Garden: one for Billy Joel, marking his 50th consecutive show at the venue in 2018, and one for the band Phish, who played 13 consecutive nights there in 2017.
Armie Hammer‘s estranged wife, Elizabeth Chambers, has watched Discovery+’s docuseries House of Hammer, a look into the salacious allegations that have derailed the career of The Lone Ranger and The Social Network actor.
“I definitely was surprised, but I think that’s to be expected,” Chambers told E! News in a story published on Wednesday.
“I did not plan on seeing it, but I did drop the kids off at school one day and came home and watched it with my support system around me,” the 40-year-old TV personality revealed. “It was obviously heartbreaking on so many levels and very painful. But at the same time, it exists. The past is the past and all we can do is take this as a moment to learn and listen, and hopefully process and heal in every capacity.”
Chambers also explained that she was approached to participate in the three-part series but said, “all that’s mattered and does matter is the kids and our family, and that was not something that was going to be in line with my goals for them.”
Hammer was accused of rape and abuse, and of sending a series of direct messages to various women that included references to violent sexual acts and cannibalism. Hammer’s attorneys have claimed all of his relationships have been consensual.
Chambers and Hammer, who tied the knot in 2010 share two children: 7-year-old Harper Grace Armand and 5-year-old Ford Douglas Armand. They separated in 2020.
If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.
Cardi B‘s collaboration with GloRilla will drop this Friday.
Taking to social media Wednesday, Cardi announced, “Tomorrow 2 ft Me,” alongside the song’s cover art, which features six girls who appear to be dancing on a stoop.
GloRilla shared the same snapshot and seemingly offered fans a peek at the track’s lyrics, writing, “‘BUT DATS WHY I LUV TOMORROW’ it’s official.”
“Me & my girl @iamcardib Linked up for TOMORROW 2 DROPPING FRIDAY 9/23 @ MIDNIGHT,” the post adds.
While we’ll have to wait until Friday to hear the track, it’s available now to pre-save on Spotify and Apple Music.
HBO announced on Wednesday that a new episode of the docuseries The Case Against Adnan Syed is in the works following Syed’s release from prison on Monday. The new episode will feature “exclusive access” to Syed “leading up to and following his release from prison,” according to the cabler, and will debut on HBO in 2023. Syed, now 41, has been serving a life sentence for the past 23 years since his arrest in 1999. He was just 17 when he was convicted of first-degree murder, robbery, kidnapping and imprisonment of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, in 2000. He has maintained his innocence and denied any involvement in Lee’s death…
Bridgerton‘s Jonathan Bailey has been tapped to play Fiyero in the two-part film adaptation of the Broadway hit Wicked, opposite Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. “He’s perfect, they’re perfect. They’d be perfect together. Born to be forever….. I am too excited to pretend this hasn’t been happening,” Bailey tweeted, along with a link to Variety‘s story. “We have a Fiyero!!!! #JonathanBailey #Wicked.” The Broadway show — a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, telling the story of how Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda became the Good Witch — opened on Broadway in 2003 and has earned more than $1 billion to date. It’s second only to The Lion King as the highest-grossing Broadway musical of all time…
Paramount+ has announced the official airdate for Criminal Minds: Evolution, a revival of the police drama Criminal Minds, which originally aired on CBS from 2005-2020. The 10-episode first season of the new series will premiere with two episodes on November 24. New episodes will then drop weekly on Thursday until the midseason finale on December 15. New episodes will resume airing on January 12 until the finale on February 9. Original cast members Joe Mantegna, Kirsten Vangsness, Adam Rodriguez, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler and Paget Brewster are all on board for the revival, though Matthew Gray Gubler and Daniel Henney will not return…
Big changes are coming to NBC’s Chicago Med. Guy Lockard and Sarah Rafferty, who portrayed Dr. Dylan Scott and Dr. Pamela Blake, respectively, are leaving, and Yaya DaCosta, who exited the show in 2021 after six seasons, has returned as April Sexton, according to Variety. During the season eight premiere, Dylan chose to leave his job at the hospital following the death of Jo — played by Riley Voelkel — an undercover cop he became romantically involved with last season. Rafferty’s character suffered a stroke during surgery at the end of season seven. She briefly appeared in the season-eight premiere…
